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The hard freeze of late January 2009 left just a small patch of open water where the Beaver River flows into the Ohio,
and it quickly proved to be an oasis for dozens of waterfowl that were probably northbound and ran into the heavy
ice. Over the course of a two weeks, the number of Canvasbacks rose from a few dozen to as high as 117 in the second week
of February, one of the best totals of this species for Beaver County in recent memory. A pair of local rarities -- White-winged
Scoter and Long-tailed Duck -- have also put in an appearance. Others species noted have been Redhead, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead,
Greater and Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, and Ring-necked Duck. Rare is the opportunity to make decent photographs of waterfowl
on the rivers of southwestern Pennsylvania!
Click on any of the thumbnails below to view a larger image.
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